Luke and Parker Murray might be C-TRAN’s biggest fans. Just ask Anita McFarland, their caregiver.
“It’s everything. It’s all they talk about,” she says. “Especially Luke—Luke can tell you exactly where to go, where to transfer, what bus to get on.”
The two Vancouver teens also happen to be twins who both have special needs. For the boys’ 16th birthday earlier this month, McFarland and their family wanted to do something extra special. So they reached out to C-TRAN. She got in touch with Ronda Peck, C-TRAN’s marketing and community outreach administrator. What resulted was a birthday that Luke and Parker will not soon forget.
The boys came to C-TRAN’s headquarters for a birthday party that included a behind-the-scenes tour of our Maintenance and Operations facilities, a ride through the bus wash, C-TRAN-related gifts and popsicles. We even sang Happy Birthday with a group of C-TRAN employees.
“When I called … all I was asking for was if I could get a little bus or something to give them as a gift from me for their birthday,” McFarland says. “And Ronda said no, that’s not what’s going to happen, and she created all this. And she’s wonderful, and we are forever grateful”
McFarland kept the whole thing a surprise until the morning of their visit. By the time they left, Luke and Parker had shared a lot of smiles with the C-TRAN team. They also left with personalized shirts with “C-TRAN #1 Fan!” on the front, and the number 32 on the back. (That’s their favorite route.)
“I can’t tell you how much it means to the boys,” McFarland says.
Happy birthday, Luke and Parker.